An End of Season Maintenance Checklist for Commercial Kitchens

Summer in Malta and Gozo asks a lot of a commercial kitchen. Long services, full terraces and kitchen temperatures well above anything a manufacturer would call ideal. Your team has earned a breather, and so has your equipment.

The weeks after the season ends are the perfect time to give every piece of kit a proper once-over. Problems that were patched up in August can be fixed properly now, and small faults can be caught before they turn into expensive breakdowns next June. Work through this checklist with your team, and you will start the new season with a kitchen you can rely on.

Refrigeration

Your fridges and freezers have spent months fighting hot kitchens and constant door openings. They are usually the hardest-working equipment in the building and the most expensive to lose.

• Clean the condenser coils. Dust and grease build-up forces the compressor to work harder, raising energy bills and shortening its life.
• Check door gaskets for splits and gaps. Close the door on a sheet of paper; if it slides out easily, the seal needs attention.
• Check actual temperatures with a probe thermometer rather than relying on the display alone.
• Clear drain lines and check evaporator fans are running freely.
• Empty, clean and sanitise ice machines, and descale them if limescale has built up.

If you are already wondering whether your refrigeration is the right size or in the right place, our guide What Goes Where: Choosing the Right Refrigeration for Your Commercial Kitchen is a good place to start.

Cooking Equipment

Ovens, ranges, grills and fryers have been running for long hours, often at full power. Give each one some attention:

• Descale combi ovens and steamers, and replace water filters if they are due.
• Inspect oven door seals and hinges for wear.
• Clean and check core temperature probes.
• Boil out fryers, check thermostats and look for any damage to the tank.
• Clean burners and pilot lights on gas ranges so they light reliably and burn with an even blue flame.
• Check that knobs, handles and feet are secure and undamaged.

Dishwashing

Dishwashers and glasswashers rarely get a rest in summer, and limescale builds up quickly when they are worked this hard.

• Descale the machine and clean wash and rinse arms, clearing any blocked nozzles.
• Check that the final rinse is reaching the correct temperature.
• Check detergent and rinse aid dosing, and look for leaks around the pumps.
• Top up and service water softeners.
• Inspect door seals, curtains and filters.

An hour of maintenance in October is far cheaper than an emergency call-out on a Saturday night in July.

Extraction and Ventilation

After a summer of heavy cooking, extraction systems carry a lot of grease. That reduces their performance and increases the risk of fire.

• Remove and degrease canopy filters thoroughly.
• Arrange a professional clean of the ductwork if it is due.
• Listen for unusual noises from extraction fans and check that airflow feels as strong as it should.

Gas, Water and Electrics

Some jobs should always be left to qualified engineers. Use the quieter weeks to book them in:

• Have gas appliances and connections checked and serviced.
• Look for damaged cables, plugs and sockets, and report anything that looks worn or scorched.
• Check for drips and leaks under sinks, pre-rinse units and around equipment connections.

Smallwares

It is not only the big equipment that suffers over the summer.

• Sharpen knives, or replace any that will no longer hold an edge. Our post Three Knives, Three Jobs: The Everyday Kit covers the essentials.
• Replace chipped glassware and crockery, and warped or damaged trays and gastronorm containers.
• Replace worn chopping boards and check that colour-coded sets are complete.

Repair, Service or Replace?

Working through this list will show you which equipment simply needs a clean, which needs a service and which is nearing the end of its life. If a piece of kit is breaking down regularly, costing more to run than it should or no longer suits your menu, it may be time to replace it. With longer lead times on many items, the winter months are the right time to make that decision. Read more in Winter Is Fit-Out Season: Why Now Is the Time to Plan Your Kitchen Upgrade.

Let Our Engineers Take Care of It

Spiteri Catering's in-house technical support team provides routine servicing, preventative maintenance and emergency repairs for commercial kitchens across Malta and Gozo. Book an end-of-season service now and start next year with confidence.

Get in touch today. Call us on +356 2156 0779, email [email protected], or visit our showroom at the Horeca Building, Triq l-Imgarr, Xewkija, Gozo, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. You can also contact us online.